I Can't Just Pull Wishes Out of Thin Air, You Know

~The Art of Wishing~
The Art of Wishing
Book 1
By Lindsay Ribar
Amazon ~ Powell's

Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?

But Oliver is more than just a genie—he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.


Confession time. The sole reason I picked up this book was to read it for/with Booze Your Own Adventure's book club. A few weeks ago they mentioned that they were going to talk with author Lindsay Ribar (SPOILERS INCLUDED) about her debut, The Art of Wishing, and recently released sequel, The Fourth Wish. And, while I'm a bit late to the party, I figured I might as well dig in and see what this YA paranormal romance genie series had.

I kinda wish I had read this before Robin Williams' passing.

Not Just A Wild Wolf, But A Werewolf

~Werewolf Rising~
By R.L. LaFevers
Amazon ~ Powell's

Luc Grayson is just like any other boy. He's about to turn thirteen and his body is changing. All too suddenly, he finds himself becoming faster, stronger, more aggressive. But unlike his classmates, Luc is increasingly troubled by nightmares and strange urges. Then a stranger appears in the home Luc has shared with his Aunt Jane and Uncle Stephen since his parents died when he was three. The mysterious man claims he has come to take Luc back to his father's people. Luc is about to learn a thrilling and terrifying truth: like his ancestors, he is a shape-shifter, and on his thirteenth birthday he will change form for the first time. Under the full moon, his bones and muscles with stretch, he'll drop to all fours, his mouth and nose will become a pointed muzzle with lethal fangs, and thick fur will sprout through his skin.

He will become a wolf.

Luc is dazzled by his new powers, and he realizes he has longed for the sense of family his new-found relatives—his pack—provide. But Luc has brought danger to his new community. His uncle Stephen hates and fears the shape-shifters, and how that they have taken Luc, he'll stop at nothing to see them wiped out. It will take all of Luc's abilities—wolf and human—to save his pack, and himself.


Once I heard that Robin LaFevers, the author of one of my new favorite series, had once penned a werewolf novel I knew I had to check it out as soon as possible. Published back in 2006 for a middle grade audience under the pseudonym R.L. LaFevers (no doubt because the main character was a boy and we wouldn't want to advertise that women could write boys' books), I didn't really expect much from it, but still was hopeful for an interesting take on werewolves from an author I greatly enjoyed.

Let's just say, there's a good reason you don't hear much about this book.

Today's Test Will Determine Which Field of Study You're Best Suited For

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous book, The Testing, or don't mind knowing some spoilers for it. Independent Study, however, will remain spoiler-free.
SPOILER ALERT

~Independent Study~
The Testing
Book 2
By Joelle Charbonneau
Amazon ~ Powell's

With her brutal Testing experience forgotten thanks to a government-issued memory wipe, seventeen-year-old Cia Vale is eager to begin her studies at the Commonwealth's elite University, as is Tomas, the boy she loves.

Their bright futures are threatened by the past, however, when violent nightmares that feel more like memories force Cia to question reality and the true motives lurking behind the friendly faces of her classmates.

Embarking on a forbidden course of study that could get her killed, Cia delves into the Commonwealth's darkest secrets. What she learns changes everything...

The Testing was just the beginning.


From a familiar premise arose a story so nailbitingly gripping I literally could not put it down. Though I had my suspicions that this series could turn into a Hunger Games lite, I was pleasantly surprised to find a refreshing complexity and ingenuity in the sequel that has me even more excited for the conclusion. So if you prefer your dystopia with more subterfuge than battlefields, you'll definitely enjoy the unexpected turn this series took as much as I did.